If you thought that some of Apple’s design patents were a bit ridiculous, you’re not alone; apparently Google didn’t think that something as simple as “rounded corners” was patentable, either.

In the wake of the Apple ruling, though, Google’s going to be stepping-up its patent game, and presumably filing applications for the same sort of generic non-ideas that Apple’s been having great legal success with. The company regrets that “we weren’t patenting things as aggressively as we should have been” and describes Apple’s victory as a “wake-up call”.

So, if you had any hope of the patent wars dying down as everyone came to their senses, keep dreaming, because it looks like we’re just getting started.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen's first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he's convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he's not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bitsRead more about Stephen Schenck!